Hybrid's overwhelming defense powered them to a big win and the team's first championship.
October 30, 2024 by Josh Katz in News, Recap with 0 comments
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For the third time in four years, #7 Ann Arbor Hybrid took the field on Sunday at Club Nationals for the chance to win the program’s first national championship. Falling short in 2021 and 2023, Hybrid found themselves on the right side of a blowout this year, defeating #12 Boston Sprocket 15-9 to capture that elusive title.
It was a dominant tournament for Hybrid, going a perfect 6-0 and winning five of their games (including all three of their bracket games) by five goals or more. And in the one game they didn’t win by 5+ goals, they raced out to a 5-0 lead against #2 Austin Disco Club before pulling their feet off the gas slightly, winning 15-12.
Echoing the sentiment after their semis win, Nathan Champoux emphasized the level of trust the team had in each other, particularly on defense. “In prior years […] having to switch some players onto O-line made it difficult for us to have a truly dominant defense. But having two defensive lines [this year] that are able to get breaks is something that is really, really powerful.”
The game started inauspiciously for Hybrid. On the third throw of the game, Theo Shapinsky missed an open Aaron Bartlett on a simple strike cut, and Sprocket’s Ivan Tran, Yigit Demiralp, and Wilhelmina Graff ran a dominator set through the redzone, with Demiralp finding Liv Player for the opening break. The teams traded holds for three points, bringing the score to 2-2, when the defensive depth that Champoux highlighted reared its head.
Sprocket worked the disc up the field, getting into the red zone. But Hybrid tightened up their marks significantly once down there, with play stopping multiple times due to strip calls on contested catches. Tannor Johnson-Go was forced into a space pass to the end zone for Zach Singer, but the disc floated too high and Dalton Smith was able to swat the disc away, giving Hybrid their first chance at a break. They’d quickly convert, with Smith’s crossfield shot to Adam Stautberg unlocking the Sprocket defense and getting the disc to the goal line. Stautberg dished to Sara Nitz for the break, and Hybrid had a lead they’d never relinquish.
Sprocket sent a similar group of personnel out for the next point, and Hybrid countered with a wholesale change, putting their second defensive line out. After a more conservative approach on the previous point, Sprocket looked for a quicker result, with Johnson-Go going deep for Ryan Flamberg after receiving an under. But Flamberg was unable to track the disc as it tailed off under pressure from David Zoldan, and Hybrid had another chance at a break. They would quickly convert, with Riley Kuznicki bobbling but ultimately hauling in a deep shot from Owen O’Neil. Having nullified Sprocket’s early break and now two for two on break opportunities, Hybrid were off to the races.
Faced with their third consecutive offensive point, Sprocket were forced to cross over some defensive players to the O-line. Hybrid countered by sending their top defensive line back out. They had no trouble rattling off the third break in a row, with Bartlett (who subbed on for Stautberg after an injury) finding Kat McGuire for the score. The second line came on again — see, once again, Champoux’s comments about defensive depth — and, after a long point that showcased seven turnovers, tacked on a fourth straight break, for good measure. This time, Riley Dickson was the recipient of a huck from O’Neil, though she caught the disc just short of the goal line. Jordan Bacharach was on hand to collect the short throw from Dickson to get the disc over the line. The two teams would trade holds until Hybrid collected one more break to enter halftime. Tracey Lo found Stautberg for a one-throw score after Leo Blooston couldn’t collect a low throw. Hybrid’s 5-0 run was the difference in the lopsided first half, and they entered the break with a commanding 8-3 lead.
The second half started as the first half ended, with another Hybrid break. Tran and Player had a miscommunication on a reset opportunity, leading to perhaps the easiest block of Nitz’s career. She dished to Smith, who found a streaking Stautberg in the end zone for score. Sprocket weren’t ready to give up just yet, and did their best to get back into the game. Blooston ripped away a disc from O’Neil to secure a hold, and Demiralp blocked a pass from Whitton before taking off deep for the bookends and a Sprocket break. They were poised to get another and make things interesting when Taylor Hanson bid to snatch away a reset pass for Shapinsky.
Unfortunately for Boston, Felipe Delgado waited a second too long to see an open Philip Joyce, and by the time he was able to get the pass off, the defense had recovered and Bartlett was able to easily knock the disc away. Hybrid worked it back to midfield, where Shapinsky unloaded a back foot outside-in flick that arced perfectly into the hands of Bartlett, who secured the bookends.
The two teams then traded a pair of holds before Hybrid tacked on yet another break. Theresa Zettner beat Tess Johnson to her spot for the block, and James Hill found Nitz for the goal, giving Hybrid a dominant 13-7 lead. Sprocket again wouldn’t go quietly, getting another quick hold/break combo on goals from Johnson-Go and then Flamberg, Hanson getting the block to set up the break. Flamberg’s goal, however, was the last Sprocket would score on the 2024 season. Maketa Mattimore got her name on the scoresheet with a goal, receiving a pass from Hill for the hold and putting Hybrid on the brink. Hill was the one to seal the game and the title, receiving a bladed flick from Lo to finish the scoring.1
Though the magical ride ended one game short of history, Sunday’s final will not be the lasting impression of 2024 Sprocket.
“I can’t be more proud of or happy with the group of individuals that I had the pleasure of sharing the field with this whole season,” said Delgado. “I’m so happy that we proved to ourselves that we are incredible teammates and people, and incredible at frisbee.”
“We are hungry for more,” he added.
Heading into the tournament, Hybrid knew that their defense would be able to generate blocks and breaks in spades, and their performance at Pro Champs cemented their belief in their offense. It all came together to create one of the most dominant showings the Mixed Division has ever seen. Hybrid leave San Diego as deserving winners of their first ever national title.
Hill very nearly ended the game on the previous possession with what would have been the most incredible title-winning goal of all time. A Champoux pass went too wide and Hill leapt out of bounds to attempt a greatest, and his throw went right through the hands of his attempted receiver. ↩
